The term electric line-start motor is used for hybrid a.c. motors, which represent a combination of an a.c. asynchronous motor with an a.c. synchronous motor. Such an electric line-start motor comprises a stator with several stator windings. The stator windings generate a rotating field, which generates a voltage in a rotor, which causes the rotor to rotate. The rotor of an electric line-start motor comprises features of both the rotor of an a.c. asynchronous motor and of the rotor of an a.c. synchronous motor. Line-start motors can also be dimensioned for one-phase mains supply, if required using an operating capacitor.
In the rotor of an a.c. asynchronous motor, which can also be called induction motor, conductor rods, for example of aluminium or copper, are located substantially in the axial direction. At the front sides of the rotor, the conductor rods can be connected by short-circuit rings. Together with the short-circuit rings, the conductor rods form the rotor winding and can have the shape of a cage, which is the reason why such a rotor is also called a squirrel cage rotor. During operation, the rotating field of the stator winding causes a current change in the conductor loops of the initially still standing rotor. The current change speed is proportional to the rotational speed of the rotating field. The induced voltage permits current to flow into the rotor conductor rods connected by short-circuit rings. The magnetic field generated by the rotor current causes a torque, which drives the rotor in the rotation direction of the stator rotating field. When the rotor would reach the rotational speed of the stator rotating field, the current change in the conductor loop concerned, and thus also the torque causing the rotation, would be zero. Therefore, in a.c. asynchronous motors, the rotor speed is always smaller than the rotating field speed. Thus, the speed of the rotor is not mechanically synchronous with the rotating field speed.
In the rotor of an a.c. synchronous motor, for example, permanent magnets can be located, which generate a magnetic rotor rotational field during operation. When the stator winding is provided with alternating current, the poles of the rotor are attracted by the counter-poles of the stator rotating field and shortly after repulsed by its uniform poles. Due to its mass inertia, the rotor cannot immediately follow the stator speed. When, however, the rotor has almost reached the speed of the stator rotating field, the rotor is, in a manner of speaking, pulled into the stator rotating field speed and runs on at that speed. This means that after the start of the rotor, the rotor runs synchronously with the stator rotating field speed.
The rotor of an electric line-start motor comprises both permanent magnets and conductor rods. The conductor rods form a starting aid for the rotor. When the speed of the stator rotating field has almost been reached, the permanent magnets evolve their effect. Thus, the electric line-start motor combines the good starting properties of an asynchronous motor, that is, large starting torque, with the high efficiency of the synchronous motor. When starting the motor, the conductor rods evolve their effect, whereas actually the permanent magnets only have an interfering effect during the start of the motor. In synchronous operation, however, for example at 50 Hz or 3000 rpm, the permanent magnets evolve their effect, whereas the conductor rods no longer contribute to the generation of the torque, as no voltage is induced into the conductor rods during synchronous operation.
The magnetic field existing in an air gap between the rotor and the stator during operation of the electric line-start motor comprises two components. The first component of the resulting field is caused by the stator windings. This is also called rotating field. The second component of the resulting field is caused by the permanent magnets. During operation of traditional electric line-start motors, as known from, for example, WO 01/06624 A1, torque fluctuations may occur, which are not desired.